A year and a half in, and my bunnies just don’t like me.

[Adam]

I’m not looking for advice, just going to feel sorry for myself, because at this point that’s all that’s left. 

I can make them happy, keep them healthy, care for them, spend hours a day with them, give them freedom 20 hours of the day inside of a room devoted solely to them that I clean three times a day.  But I can’t make them actually like me, appreciate me, respect me.

I told myself for months that they just had a funny way of showing it, but tonight was the breaking point.  I couldn’t lie to myself any longer.  As I chased one of them around their room– after patiently trying to coax him into his cage with food– so I could take him to be with us in the living room, I just broke.  

Most of the time, they run away from me even when I’m just trying to pet them or get close.  The only time they won’t is when they have gotten hungry and want to eat.  That’s all they care about.

They’ve been the centerpiece of my life since I got them, and now I just don’t know what to do. Because it clearly isn’t getting any better.

[LBJ10]

What makes you think they don’t like you? I mean, aside from running away from you? I can tell you that when it comes to my boys, I’m only good for two things: food and naners.

[Mikey]

Rabbits dont like to be picked up. If they like to be in the room you have for them, just spend more time in the room with them instead Avoid picking them up whenever possible, even if that means they cant go to the living room with you

It sounds like you havent properly bonded with them. Have you sat on the floor with them for a few hours a day, not trying to pet or reach for them? Have you tried laying on the floor and letting them crawl all over you for a few hours? I have found that this is the easiest way to get a rabbit to bond with you. You give them the majority of the control on how fast they choose to bond, so there is no pressure on them to do something they are nervous about. Plus, you get so spend time getting tickled from bunny feets walking all over you and the tickles of bunny whiskers against your skin Its also fun just watching buns be buns, i think. I love laying on the floor watching my bunnies derp around like theyve never seen the room before

[Love4Bunny]

It’s been well over a year now and my Crysta still keeps her distance. As humans, we love our animals like people but I try to remember that they are still animals, after all. I don’t believe they rationalise like, “I’m going to take advantage of my human”. I think they simply think, “Give me food now” or “Leave me alone” – basic animal instinct. I make it so the enclosure is in a room where I don’t HAVE to pick up my rabbits. I sit/ lay on the carpet and let them run around and away if they want. Sooner or later, they say hello.

I know you didn’t want advice. I wanted to provide you with a perspective that has helped me not take rabbit behaviour personally.

[Deleted User]

I’ve had Cinders since Nov 2013, she has never been a cuddly bun, runs away whenever I try and touch her. I felt for years like she didn’t like me and I was only there as her slave. I have spent countless hours lying on the floor reading hoping she would come and investigate but she never does. The only time I have ever been able to site and stroke her was when she lost her husbun’s and she was too depressed to run away. I understand where you are coming from it is really upsetting and its broke my heart so many times over the years, I have shed many a tear over it.

When she lost her first husbun in May 2016 I took her to my parents with me, she sat for hours on my knee being stroked and would make no attempt to run away but as I say, it was just because she was depressed, she just prefers the company of bunnies.

Despite all this she gets jealous when I stroke Frank (her current husbun), she will sit there watching, and take baby steps towards me to sniff my hand, but as soon as I move my hand to stroke her she runs away and watches from a corner. Poor little thing.

We have progressed a little since her depression in that when I feed her in the morning now I get a good 4/5 strokes before she runs off, waits for me to leave then she will go back to her food. She will also come up to me if I am on the floor but I cant move or she will run away so I just let her sniff my hand and go about her business.

She was a rescue bun so I have no idea how she was treated before she came to me.

What i’m saying really is hang in there, spend time on the floor waiting for them to come to you, even when your bum is going numb after 2 minutes, get a cushion. Feed pellets/ veggies from your hands, try to make them associate you with good things. Good Luck!

[Vienna Blue in France]

If they are bonded (which is sounds as if they are) then they will make less effort to say hi to you, because they already have a friend. That’s not saying they won’t, I’m just saying.

I’ve just bonded my two, and someone said to me, don’t expect your (1st) bun to be as cuddly as before, becasue she can get the attention she craves from the other bun now.

Whether or not that’s true for all buns, I’ve no idea. That was her experience.

Running after bun even after a long period of patience will remain in her mind during the next time, so do as Mikey says. Just flop with them. Lay down, you’ll be less imposing. Don’t expect anything of them. It won’t happen overnight, but atleast you may have cuddles with them on the floor which is what I have to do with mine.
Having an irresistible pile of yums in front of them, so they don’t really realise you are stroking them, helps !!

It’s so great of you to do all the things you are doing for them, feeding, cleaning, caring….
Sometimes that’s all animals want/need from us.

(And that’s why I’ll probably be adopting a rescue cat in the next few months, because I miss my furball cuddles so much)…

[Krista]

I’ve not had that issue with my Bilbo. Have you tried putting them in a smaller room and letting them come up to you? Or tried treats like their veggies? Bilbo is just a cuddly bunny I guess by the way everyone else is talking .-. he likes to be held and is a lap rabbit. Then again he doesn’t have another rabbit he has human buddies only. I don’t think he’d like another rabbit he likes being #1 XD gets mad when I pay attention to anyone or anything else

[sarahthegemini]

Buttercup is probably the cuddly-est out of my two but even she doesn’t like to be actually cuddled lol. She likes attention and being pet but she’ll hop away when she’s had enough. When I’ve got dandelion in my hand tho, good grief she’s my best friend then hopping all over my lap and everything lol. Peanut is a little cuddly, he likes being pet but he’s such a cautious bun that he’s very particular about how he can be pet. He’s only hopped on my lap a few times and that was hay motivated lol.

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